About spreadsheet views

List view

List view is a simple, fast-loading view of a spreadsheet, with basic editing, sorting, and filtering capabilities. Note that list view is not available in the new version of Sheets.

Here's what you can do with list view:

Sort and filter without modifying underlying data.

Get a simple view of your data with or without formatting.

Provide a simple method of data entry for novice users.

Share a read-only spreadsheet, but allow sorting and filtering.

View your spreadsheets on a slow Internet connection.

View your spreadsheets from some mobile phones.

Give more than 50 users access to the same spreadsheet at a time.

When you're on a slow Internet connection, you'll see a prompt to use list view. If you're trying to access a spreadsheet with more than 50 users currently viewing it, you'll be automatically redirected to list view.

To access list view from your desktop computer, go to the View menu in your spreadsheet and select List.

In list view you can't select cells, rename sheets, format data, use auto-fill, edit formulas, add comments, add new collaborators and viewers, or insert images, charts and gadgets. But you can always switch back to normal spreadsheet view by clicking the Go to spreadsheet view link.

Compact controls and full screen view

If you'd like to minimize the amount of space that the menus and toolbar take up at the top of your browser window, you can view your spreadsheet with compact controls. To do so, click the View menu, and select Compact controls. To exit this view, deselect the Compact controls option from the View menu.

If you'd like to see your spreadsheet without the toolbar or menus in your way, you can do that by viewing your spreadsheets in 'Full screen' mode. From the View menu, select Full screen. To return to regular viewing mode, hit the Esc or Escape key.

Formula view mode

In Google spreadsheets that contain formulas or functions, you have the option to view the formula text instead of the formula calculations. To enter formula view mode, click the Show all formulas button to the right of the formula bar.

Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+` or select View > All formulas to view the formula text in your spreadsheet.